Hanso's Wreck
by LornaCat
Summary: The island is a summer camp for gifted children; lots of characters, multiple pairings, humor, drama, romance, scary/wacky supernatural stuff...it's a work in progress!
1. Midsummer Madness

_Hanso's Wreck: an AU Lost fic taking place on the island, except the island is actually a summer camp for gifted children, with a mishmash of characters from different times and places and timelines, including pairings both classic and random. The circumstances are odd but it's not as AU as you might think...hehe!_

_Short version: I had a weird dream, so I turned it into a fic. I hope you enjoy it! _

_I've rated it T, just in case. This first chapter is K+, but it might change in the future (ooh, but could it change in the past? haha, a little time travel humor for ya...haha...ha.... :|) _

_Pairings in this first chapter include: a little bit 'o __**Jack/Kate**__,__** Juliet/Richard **__vs.__** Juliet/Sawyer**__,__and __**Charlie/Claire**__. More to come, especially if you give me some suggestions. :)_

* * *

**Hanso's Wreck**

* * *

"Ben!" Jack shouted. "_Ben_."

Twelve-year-old Ben's head shot up. He'd been staring at his shoes, avoiding eye contact. Avoiding contact of any sort, especially of the social variety. He hated playing kickball, but here came Coach Shephard, running across the field to tell him once again that he had to participate _or else_.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Ben?" Jack said. His tight voice and uptight body language betrayed his exterior and revealed the barely controlled rage within, no matter how polite he tried to be when he admonished his kids. "You don't have to avoid the ball. It's not going to hurt you if you get hit. See?"

Jack held a big red ball in his hands. He stood in front of Ben, and threw the ball lightly at the center of the boy's chest. It bounced off his body with a cartoonish sound akin to a growing bubble, and Jack caught it on the way back. "See?" Jack said again, desperate to get this kid into the game and out of the deep, dark hole that resembled Ben Linus' existence at summer camp. Ben just stared at him. As fed up as Jack was with Ben's antisocial behavior, Ben was just as sick of being told to be more manly.

"I don't. Like. Sports." Ben said slowly, as if to someone far less intelligent than himself.

_This little twerp..._ Jack thought to himself, about to explode when someone called his name.

"Jack?"

Jack heard Kate's voice from across the field, and turned to see her waving him over. Seeing her did a lot towards calming the storm that kids like Ben Linus never failed to stir in him. He took a deep breath, gave Ben one last stern yet worried glance, and then turned to his MVP.

"Walt - keep the game going for me?" Jack asked, tossing the other young man the ball.

"Sure thing, Dr. Shephard." said Walt, plucking the ball out of the air and jogging over to the pitcher's area. Jack in turn jogged toward Kate, smiling as he approached. She smiled back, and the little storm inside him began to dissipate.

"What's up?" Jack said, taking his place by Kate's side and turning to watch the children on the field with arms crossed. He didn't forget his duty for a second.

"You should take it a little easier on Ben." Kate suggested lightly. Jack turned to look at her, brow furrowed in confusion. She caught his look, and it didn't surprise her at all. "He's a good kid," she went on.

Jack laughed once, scoffing, and turned back to the field. "All he has to do is kick the ball." he said bitterly. "Or go after the ball when it rolls past him."

"And all _you _have to do is be okay with the fact that he's not going to do either of those things." said Kate. Jack was watching the game as she spoke. The ball rolled past second base, Ben's base, and he lazily went for the ball as the runner rounded first. The runner easily got to third, deciding to play it safe as Ben walked back to his post with the ball. Some of the other kids on his team grumbled, others yelled outright, calling Ben out on his lack of team spirit, but Ben didn't seem to care. He simply rolled the ball back to Walt, and only because he had to.

"We'll get 'em next time, Ben." Walt called out encouragingly.

"See?" said Kate. "Some of 'em are made for kickball. And some of them just...endure it."

Jack felt his lingering anger evaporate in the moment of clarity Kate provided for him. He laughed again, a soft chuckle directed inward, and he turned to see Kate's wise smile. Jack shook his head and sighed.

"I don't know why they have me coaching kids' sports, Kate. I don't even know why they have me teaching biology to these kids. Are they crazy? Can't they see I'm horrible at it?"

"You're not horrible at either of those things, Jack." Kate said patiently. "But we both know why we're here." she added wryly. _Because no one else will have us._ they thought in unison. There was no need to say it out loud.

Jack smiled, grateful for her understanding. "So," he said lightly, trying to be nonchalant. "Did you need something? Or did you just come to witness the horror?"

Kate stifled a laugh; right after Jack said it, Ben actually threw the ball during an exciting play. It sailed over Walt's head, bounced ten feet away from home plate and affected absolutely nothing except, perhaps, for the already negative feelings all the other children had toward their inept teammate.

"I was just wondering if you were going to the dance tonight." said Kate. "And..." She grimaced, bracing herself for an awkward, adolescent-feeling moment. "...If you had a date?"

Jack turned to Kate again, his smile the biggest it had been since the summer began.

* * *

The Alvar Hanso Retreat for Exceptional Children - known affectionately by its veterans as Hanso's wRECk - was celebrating its twentieth year of existence. Owned by Charles Widmore and run by Richard Alpert, its mission was to gather the most gifted children from all over the planet and give them two months of intense education that even their expensive private schools couldn't provide in the best of circumstances. Child geniuses, deprived by inadequate schooling, could thrive on Widmore's private island, receiving lectures and instruction from the brightest minds on the cutting edge of scientific study. Dr. Burke, Dr. Faraday, and Dr. Shephard were just a few of the names that the children became familiar with during their stay. The scientists, their teachers, were brilliant. They had once been gifted children themselves. The only catch was, they'd all been disgraced somehow, back in the 'real world.' Whether deserved or not, they'd been ostracized from their scientific communities, branded or blacklisted by their peers, or for more personal reasons kicked out of the promising lives they used to lead.

Jack Shephard, divorced and childless, had his medical license taken away after being sued by his own father. Juliet Burke, her record clean save for being naive enough to marry Edmund Burke, had been forced out of a promising research career by her ex-husband and his many shady connections in the business. Daniel Faraday, arguably the most brilliant of them all, had exiled himself after accidentally causing the death of his girlfriend. There were others, each story unique and some more tragic than others, but they all had loss or disgrace in common. Some even had both. So how did they receive such prominent positions at such a prestigious educational retreat? To find the answer to that question, one needn't look any further than the camp's co-director, Horace Goodspeed. He was officially considered director of human resources at the retreat, and unofficially seen as the great giver of much-needed second chances. Like Widmore and Alpert, Horace recognized the immense talent of these individuals, and that their vast banks of knowledge should not be wasted just because of some unfortunate personal issues.

You didn't need to be a scientific genius to get a second chance, however. There were other sorts of genius needed to keep the camp well-rounded. Charlie Pace, recovering drug addict and recovering one-hit wonder, taught music. John Locke, former paraplegic with one kidney and no family, taught meditation and tracking skills, and even hunting for those children brave enough to kill the wild animals that inhabited their summer home away from home.

Then there were those who might not be classified as genius, but still played a very important role in the camp's operation. Claire Littleton and Kate Austen were two counselors favored most by the children for their calm, gentle disposition and friendly smiles. Hugo "Hurley" Reyes and James "Sawyer" Ford were also loved by the children, and not just because they served them franks and beans in the mess hall. Their genius was found in how they were able to connect with the kids, drawing out the humor of even the most socially inept.

While the rest of the world had given up on them or shunned them, the island welcomed them, giving them a chance to shine and keep changing lives in their own special way. That went for the administrators, counselors _and _the visitors. Child geniuses did not lead easy lives. The world did not often live up to their standards, and so they did not often live up the standards of 'normal' people. The goal of the Alvar Hanso Retreat was to nurture their intellect while also nurturing their personalities, so that maybe little twerps like Benjamin Linus could grow up to be well-adjusted, contributing members of society. So they wouldn't end up exiled on an island like this.

The age range of the retreat accomodated baby geniuses, too. Their parents stayed at the camp with them, so kids like Ji Yeon Kwon and Aaron, whose mother was staying there already for work, could start their accelerated education earlier, while mom and dad took an exotic island vacation. The now defunct Dharma Initiative's barracks had been taken over and converted just for this purpose. The older kids stayed in relatively new cabins closer to the water, using the various Dharma facilities for learning opportunities, and also for games. The Swan station's living quarters were a great place to play Bomb Shelter.

* * *

"Good morning."

Juliet looked up from her papers at the sound of Richard's greeting. "Good morning." she replied, gracing him with a warm smile. He'd come to visit her in the old Dharma school room, where she was preparing her first lecture of the summer. She'd delayed her arrival, showing up a month later than everyone else, telling Richard she had a family crisis to deal with. She'd debated coming at all, but after a few weeks, Rachel insisted she go, and not only because the summer work funded the other ten months of private research Juliet attempted back in Miami. Juliet enjoyed being part of an elite team of fellow outcasts - at least they were on even ground - and she enjoyed helping people, especially young people, realize their full potential.

"Sorry to interrupt, if you're busy -" Richard began.

"No, not at all." Juliet said quickly.

"We just wanted to express our gratitude." he went on, referring to both himself and Widmore at once. "We are _very _happy you decided to return to the REC. We know it must have been difficult, dealing with your sister's...situation."

Juliet smiled politely and nodded, acknowledging the statement but discouraging by way of silence any further discussion of the matter.

"Anyway," said Richard, taking the hint and dismissing the previous subject. "On a more personal note..." He hesitated, pocketing his hands and focusing his deep, penetrating gaze on her eyes. He wasn't nervous around her, but he was cautious. "I'm glad you're here." he said after the pause. "It's good to see you again." It sounded so much more sincere when he only referred to himself; the difference between business and pleasure.

"Thank you, Richard." said Juliet, the warmth returning to her voice as well as her eyes. "That means a lot. It's good to see you too."

It looked as if Richard wanted to say more, but before he got the chance, Juliet caught sight of another man leaning in the doorway. She was looking over Richard's shoulder at the all too familiar figure, and Richard turned to see who it was.

"Doctor Burke." Sawyer said slowly, a shit-eating grin from dimple to dimple. "I thought I saw you steppin' off the ferry."

"Hello, James." she said with a friendly smirk. She noticed Richard's subtle retreat as Sawyer sauntered in, as if Sawyer's shameless flirting repelled him. Richard didn't leave, but their moment had been interrupted, and he wasn't the type to fight for attention unless he really needed it. He merely took a slow quarter turn and a step toward the opposite wall, allowing Sawyer his own moment.

"Got here just in time for the dance." Sawyer reminded Juliet. "You gonna be there?"

"You know it." Juliet said with confidence.

"Good, 'cause you know the spiked punch is always gone in the first hour. You didn't hear that, Mr. Alpert." Sawyer joked, pointing at the man that was technically his boss.

"Hear what?" Richard dead-panned, smiling shortly afterward to let him know everything was cool. Juliet found his poise in these situations to be downright deadly, she was so attracted to him. Sawyer had a crass charm to him, but she'd had enough of crass. What she wanted, what she knew she needed, was a quiet gentleman that looked at her the way Richard did; not just at her, but into her.

"Attaboy." said Sawyer to Richard. "Just for that, I'm savin' you a cup." He turned back to Juliet, the true object of his desire. "Well, I can see you're busy with your papers, and the mess hall needs cleaning after breakfast. I'll leave you to it."

"See you later, James." said Juliet.

"I better." said James, winking at Juliet before turning to Richard and giving him an informal salute goodbye. Richard and Juliet watched him saunter back out.

"We'll catch up later?" Richard half asked, half suggested as he made his own graceful exit. Juliet opened her mouth to call his name, to continue their conversation, to say _something_, but she couldn't think of anything appropriate or clever so she remained silent, too caught up in the desire for his courtship to actually encourage it. Before she could even answer his question, he was already gone.

"Later." Juliet, alone again, said under her breath.

* * *

That afternoon, Sawyer and Hurley were just beginning preparations for dinner, when everyone would gather in the mess hall to pig out and share stories of the days events. The cooks were joined by Charlie, not that he lifted any of his precious guitar-playing fingers to help them. Instead, he chose to rest his elbows on the serving counter and bob his head to the reggae coming from the tiny boombox on the counter.

"Heads up!" Sawyer shouted from the mess hall pantry. Hurley waited outside in the kitchen area, behind the counter that Charlie leaned on, and caught the ten pound bag of rice that Sawyer tossed his way. Hurley used the momentum of the bag to take a soulful spin, and then slowly danced his way over to the stoves. Sawyer walked out of the pantry with his hands full of canned vegetables, chuckling when he saw his large, jumpsuited friend bouncing and bobbing to the music. Sawyer glanced at Charlie, and Charlie grinned back at him, knowing exactly what conversation was about to take place. Hurley set the rice down, and spun back around to help Sawyer get the rest of the supplies. He was still bouncing and bopping to the music, taking his time.

"You know, dinner would take half as long to make if we listened to faster music, Hugo."

"Faster music?" Charlie scoffed. "We all know these mellow Caribbean beats are the only thing that keeps you from strangling all the children on the island, Sawyer."

"Strangling- ?" said Sawyer incredulously. "I tell one kid he can't have any more potatoes, and suddenly I'm Freddy Krueger?"

"Dude," said Hurley, raising his voice so they could hear him as he returned to the pantry. "It's not what you say. It's how you say it!"

"There was _murder _in your eyes." Charlie added, nodding dramatically.

"That's ridiculous," said a voice from outside. Sawyer looked up, and Charlie straightened and turned when he heard Claire's distinct accent. "We all know Sawyer wouldn't hurt a fly." she said from the doorway, smiling. If there'd been some way to broadcast the thoughts of the men in the room upon her arrival, there would have been an audible sigh of happiness, the reaction of lesser beings to an angel entering the room. She had that effect on people.

"Hey!" said Charlie, sporting a goofy grin as she joined him at the counter.

"Hey there, Goldilocks." said Sawyer, smiling as he passed an ice cream sandwich over the counter. Claire's smile widened as she took it from him. He always reached into the freezer when he saw her, without needing to be asked.

"Wha-...? You didn't give _me _an ice cream sandwich." Charlie said, as if it wounded him deeply.

"I told ya, Chucky. Pretty blondes get all the free ice cream they want. Pretty blondes with facial hair have to wash the dishes first."

Charlie smiled impishly, and then leaned conspiratorially toward Claire. "He thinks I'm pretty." he whispered. Then, in a normal voice, "So, what's for supper tonight, boys?"

"Rice?" said Sawyer, as he poured the bag into a large pot. "Vegetables? Somethin' Spanish? Whatever Alpert told us to make, I got no idea."

"Gee, I hope Hurley's read the recipe." said Charlie. "I shudder to think what the food would look like if it were only you behind the counter."

"God dammit, Hugo!" Sawyer shouted, his temper flaring suddenly. "How many times have I told you to make sure the rice is sealed in those metal boxes? There's bugs all up in it now, that's a whole crate wasted!"

"Dude, don't yell at _me _about it!" said Hurley, walking back out to defend himself. "You were the last one to box it up, remember? Last week? We were making stir fries and stuff?"

"Aghh..." Sawyer growled harshly, unable to deny Hurley's statement but still frustrated with himself. He dropped the bag of rice into the pot and carried the pot over to the garbage can, dumping the whole mess out at once. Then he tied up the garbage bag, which was only half full, so the offending insects wouldn't get out and infest any other stores of food. Of course, having to take out the garbage only made Sawyer more pissed off.

"Someone needs to get laid..." Charlie said under his breath, giving the ol' eyebrow raise of worry to no one in particular, as Sawyer stomped toward the back door, sealed garbage bag in one hand. Claire giggled, glad she'd decided to stop by. The group of children she was in charge with were in their anthropology class, and these boys were her afternoon entertainment. While she was busy licking the sides of her melting sandwich, an action which Charlie was trying very hard not to stare at, Hurley made wild motions with his hands to get Charlie's attention.

_What?_ Charlie mouthed. Hurley narrowed his eyes and gestured with his head toward Claire. _Ah._ With angry Sawyer out of the room, it was the perfect opportunity...

"So, uh, Claire." Charlie started politely. "You'll be at the dance tonight, I presume?"

"Of course." said Claire. "Everybody's going."

"Right right." said Charlie. He nodded slowly, giving himself time to think so it wouldn't come out wrong. "Well, in that case, would you, by any chance, be interested in going...with me?"

"You mean, like...as your date?" Claire asked, taking another small bite of the chocolate bit of the sandwich.

"Oh, well -" Charlie stammered, until he glanced at Hurley. Hurley nodded confidently, signaling to Charlie that it was okay to say yes. "Yes. Yes, as my date." said Charlie, his tune suddenly changing.

"Sure." Claire said easily, smiling his way. "As long as you don't mind having Aaron around. Couldn't find a babysitter." she joked.

"I will strap him to my back like a papoose." Charlie valiantly offered. It made Claire laugh, since Aaron had just turned three and was far too large to be carried like an infant.

"He's getting a little big for that, don't you think?"

"Alright, he might struggle a bit. But at least we wouldn't lose him during the Macarena."

Claire laughed again, covering her mouth so she wouldn't lose the last bite of her sandwich. Once she was done swallowing, she took her hand away and Charlie saw a tiny bit of chocolate stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"You've got a little...there..." he said, pointing.

"Oh!" Claire said, and she laughed again, embarrassed, as she wiped it away. "Thanks, Charlie."

Charlie loved the way his name sounded when she said it. He found her to be quite adorable, covered in chocolate or not. Before he could rest his chin in his hand and reflect on these things, another familiar face appeared in the doorway.

"Claire." said Kate, her expression very serious. "Charlie fell down-"

"No I didn't." Charlie quipped.

"Charlie Hume." said Kate, smiling as she corrected herself.

"Oh no, not little Charlie!" said Hurley. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"He'll be fine, it's just a scrape." Kate assured them. "But he needs to go to the infirmary. Can you watch my group for a minute while I take him?" she asked Claire.

"Of course." said Claire.

"I'll pick you up, then?" Charlie said quickly before she left.

"Yeah." said Claire, her cheeks rounding as she smiled at him again. "We can walk my group to the main hall together."

"Perfect." said Charlie. He watched her go. She tossed the wrapper for her ice cream sandwich in the garbage can as she left, waving at Charlie and Hurley as she passed through the door and left with Kate.

* * *

_Let me know what you think so far! _

_I know this first chapter's a bit on the sappy side, but it will probably end up having a supernatural/horror vibe to it at some point. This island's pretty crazy, ya never know who (or what) might show up..._


	2. A Wonderful Job

Kate's group, made up of twelve boys and girls whose ages ranged from five to eight years, was a few administrative cabins down the path, where they'd formed a protective circle around little Charlie Hume. She'd stayed in the doorway of the mess hall, never leaving their line of sight, and they were waiting for her patiently.

"Did Charlie ask you to the dance?" Kate asked Claire with a curious smile while they were walking, referring to the less little Charlie Pace.

"Yeah." said Claire, sounding happy about it. "I thought it would be fun, you know? It's just going to be the usual punch bowl and cheesy dance music, but it'll be fun to pretend. Like a prom for the grown ups." she added with a smile.

Kate smiled inwardly. She'd never had the chance to go to her own prom, too caught up in family drama and financial problems to attend. The camp was affording all sorts of second chances.

"I asked Jack." she said sheepishly.

"Oh, that's good!" Claire congratulated her. "I wasn't making things up you know, he really does like you."

"I know." Kate admitted with a self conscious grin. "I like him too."

Claire made an 'aw' face, wanting so much to tell her how cute it was that Kate was finally starting something with Claire's half-brother, but their conversation had to be put on pause when they reached Kate's group. The kids parted to let their trusted counselors through, and Claire saw five-year-old Charlie Hume sitting on the ground, clutching his thigh with two white-knuckled hands, his knee covered in blood. It wasn't a serious wound by any measure, but his fall had traumatized him enough to elicit tears.

"It hurts!" Charlie Hume whimpered. His accent made Kate's heart melt.

"Come on, buddy." Kate said gently, crouching next to him so she could help him up. "You're gonna be fine. I'm going to take you to the infirmary so Dr. Nadler can disinfect your knee, okay?"

"He's the one that gives lollipops and stickers." one of Charlie's friends reminded him encouragingly. Little Charlie nodded, releasing his thigh to take her hand. He got to his feet, and discovered that he could still walk even with the sharp sting of his injury. It was enough of a confidence boost to stop crying, at least. A relieved Kate turned to the rest of the group and addressed them with an easygoing authority.

"Ms. Littleton is going to stay with you guys until Charlie and I get back, so she's in charge now." She turned to Claire. "Unless you want to take them to their next class?"

"Where were you headed?" asked Claire.

"Nature Walk."

"I should have time," said Claire. "My group is with Dr. Lewis 'til four. You'll meet us there?"

"Yeah. Okay guys, go with Ms. Littleton, she's going to take you to Mr. Locke. Remember to hold hands with your buddy when you're walking on the path."

* * *

"Okay...who here believes in ghosts?" Miles asked as he looked into the small crowd of kids in Charlotte's anthropology class. It was Claire's group, the nine- to twelve-year-olds. The ones that didn't look back at him with seasoned skepticism looked too nervous to admit anything in front of their friends.

When asked by Widmore for recommendations for Career Week presentations, Charlotte immediately thought of her buddy Miles. The adventures of a ghost hunter surely made for a more interesting talk than cops and lawyers, and it fit the bizarre atmosphere of the island well. All the kids could sense that atmosphere, even if they weren't aware of it. It gave the grown ups an odd feeling too.

"Nobody?" Miles said pleadingly. He glanced at Charlotte, who sat in the back of the room, and found a smug smile being shot his way. She shrugged, as if to say _You're not getting any help from me_, but Miles did find one kid in the class with his hand raised. "You." said Miles, pointing at him. "What's your name?"

"Walt."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twelve, sir."

"Whoa, who's sir? Call me Miles."

Walt and a few of his classmates chuckled in response. They were at a camp run by Widmore and Alpert; they were used to strict etiquette.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." said Miles. "So, why do you believe in ghosts?"

Walt shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just do."

"Yeah, but why? Have you seen any?"

"I think so."

"Yeah? What did they look like?"

"Like normal people. Just...dirtier."

"And where did you see them?"

"Here, on the island."

Hushed murmurs, and maybe a giggle or two, passed through the class after he said it. Island ghost stories told in their cabins late at night were one thing; they'd never been allowed, let alone encouraged, to discuss the stories in class.

"Interesting..."

Miles looked back at Charlotte. He hadn't believed her when she told him this trip would be worth more than a tax write off, but he was starting to believe it now. Her smile wasn't smug anymore, but pleased. She was happy for the both of them. Now Miles would have incentive to stay, and she would have someone to help her with a mystery she was trying to solve.

* * *

Kate arrived at the infirmary with little Charlie in tow, and she was mortified to see his mother was there already, helping stock the shelves with medical supplies. _Of all the children in my group, it had to be the owner's grandson that gets hurt?_ Kate was afraid she might get in trouble, that they might think it was her fault somehow, but she sucked it up and stepped inside anyway.

"Mummy." Charlie whimpered at the sight of her, losing the composure he'd fought so hard to maintain in Kate's calming presence.

"Ohh, dear." Penny cooed. "What happened?" Charlie's arms were outstretched, and Penny bent down to pick him up and place him on the examination table.

"We were walking past the offices," Kate explained quickly, her instinct being to defend herself. "There were rocks in the path, he must have tripped on one and fell down."

"Sounds like someone wasn't watching where they were going." Penny said to Charlie, scolding her son playfully.

"I'm so sorry -" Kate started up again.

"You don't have to apologize, these things happen." Penny said lightly and with a reassuring smile, sensing Kate's tension. Penny was aware that most of the camp's employees had some sort of history, and Kate seemed to have an especially sticky one. As good as she was with the children, she always acted like one when confronted with anyone in the administration. It was a strange dichotomy for Penny to witness, one that seemed to manifest any time Kate felt threatened. Penny still wasn't quite used to dealing with such sensitive people, but her solution was the same as Kate's had been with her Charlie: treat it like no big deal, and hopefully the tension would fade.

Bernard, the full time doctor on duty, walked in, having heard a new arrival from the other room. "What have we got here, a scraped knee?" he asked in his naturally friendly manner. Charlie nodded solemnly. "Well why don't we fix that right up?"

"Bernarrrrd!" Rose's voice came suddenly from next door in the nursery. "I've got a puker!"

"Oh dear." Bernard muttered. "I'll be right back." He almost ran into Juliet on his way out; she was just arriving for her own part time shift in the infirmary. "Perfect," said Bernard. "Can you patch up Charlie for me? There's an emergency in the daycare."

"Of course." said Juliet, smiling.

Penny could feel the tension in the room rise again upon Juliet's arrival. Penny knew Juliet a lot better than she knew Kate, so she knew that, unlike Kate, Juliet was an expert at hiding her feelings. The blonde doctor's smile held no malice, but she'd very clearly ignored Kate on her way in the door. Penny sensed Juliet was somehow sparing Kate some annoyance, as if Juliet thought Kate didn't want her to bother saying hello. Kate's reaction, however, was all over her face, and Penny almost blushed along with her. She'd have to ask Juliet about it later. Right now, her instinct was to get Kate out of an uncomfortable situation.

"I think I'm going to keep Charlie for a while, if you want to get back to the others?" Penny suggested.

"Oh." said Kate, feeling foolish and like an outsider. She hated the fact that she still got so uncomfortable around Juliet. "Okay. We'll be on the Nature Walk if he wants to join up later."

"Thank you, Kate." said Penny, smiling warmly. "You're doing a wonderful job."

"Thanks." said Kate, managing a tight-lipped smile in response. Penny watched her slip away, marveling at the mess of nerves Kate could be.

"You have a story to tell me." Penny said to Juliet, who was busy applying a colorful bandage to Charlie's knee.

"Do I?" Juliet said, feigning ignorance.

"You do." Penny said, knowing better. "We'll chat later."

Juliet smirked to herself, but then made sure to let her full smile return for Charlie's sake. All the comings and goings and conversation between the grown ups had distracted him from the added sting of the antiseptic she'd rubbed on him, and he was clean and bandaged now. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked him, her voice gentle. Charlie shook his head no, though he was still pouting.

"Nah," Penny agreed. "He's tough, just like his daddy."

"Tougher than that, I hope." said Charles Widmore. Penny turned at the sound of her father's voice, not pleased with the sentiment.

"Dad." she greeted him. "I thought we agreed, no insulting my husband in front of my son?" she reminded him, tongue only half in cheek.

"Sorry, darling. Reflex." Widmore dismissed her, going straight to his grandson. "How's my little namesake doing? All patched up?"

"I've got a bandage now." Charlie explained, pointing to the neon patch.

"And such a lovely shade of green." Widmore replied, the wry tone lost on his grandson but not on the grown women in the room. "He's in Austen's group, correct?" Widmore asked his daughter, and when she confirmed it, it finally clicked as to why he'd seen Kate leaving on his way in. "Perhaps she needs a reminder of who signs her checks, so she can be a little more careful with the lives entrusted to her?"

"Dad." Penny scolded him in a hushed tone.

Charlie looked up at his granddad, unsure as to what he was talking about. Widmore looked down at him and smiled, and then smiled at Juliet when she asked Charlie if he wanted to pick out a sticker from the other room. Charlie nodded, his pout disappearing at the mere thought of the shiny stars. Juliet lifted Charlie down from the exam table, and Penny waited until Charlie was out of earshot to continue.

"Kate doesn't need any reminder." Penny said chidingly. "The poor girl's already like a scared rabbit when she's cornered. Besides, I think she's doing a fine job. I don't know why you insist on hiring these people if you're only going to insult and second guess them." she said in wonder. "I thought this camp was all about second chances?"

"I've given them a second chance because I need their talents." Widmore explained haughtily. "That doesn't mean we should take it easy on them. If they've got something to prove to the world, I want them to prove it."

Penny knew there was no changing her father's attitudes, or the way he treated people. She could only hope that those people could meet his high expectations. Desmond was still working on that himself.

"Dr. Burke," said Widmore. "Now there's a woman with a head on her shoulders. She knows what she's missing and exactly what she needs to do to get it back..."

Juliet could hear him talking about her from the other room, and she had herself a wry little chuckle at how much she did _not_ represent those statements. Sure, she was more outwardly even-keeled than others like Kate and Charlie, but only because she hid her own inner turmoil too well. As she was trying to decide which was worse - not being able to hide ones emotions versus a compulsive habit of burying any and all of them - Jack arrived at the infirmary, and Juliet realized there was something worse than either-or. Jack seemed to have both problems at once.

"Hey." Jack greeted her, pleasantly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Juliet smiled back at him in response. "Just started my shift." she said. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I thought it was my shift?" Jack said, trying to sound natural.

"No you didn't." said Juliet, seeing right through it. "You're just a workaholic."

If she'd been a stranger, Jack might have been offended or at the very least uncomfortable at such a straightforward response, but he knew Juliet was only teasing him. She was a workaholic too. They smiled at each other, then turned to watch Charlie peel a second sticker from the small sheet on the wall.

"Gold and red, huh?" Juliet remarked. "Very royal colors, Charlie."

"The colors of MacCutcheon." said Charlie, sounding very much like he was parroting something an adult had said to him. Juliet looked to Jack, puzzled. She found Jack with a very surprised expression, chuckling at the boy.

"What's MacCutcheon?" Juliet asked Jack.

"It's his grandfather's whiskey." Jack told her, and she let out a similarly shocked laugh. Charlie ran off to show his family, and Jack suddenly remembered the small favor he'd been asked. "Oh," he said, reaching into his shirt pocket. "Richard asked me to give this to you." He took out a piece of paper, folded into quarters.

"What is it?"

Jack shrugged and held it out for her. "I don't know, I didn't read it."

Juliet's brow furrowed a bit as she took the paper, troubled that she would be receiving personal correspondence like this. It felt a bit like espionage on an island so small, where it was way too easy for everyone to know everyone else's business. She unfolded the paper, and she found a short hand written note. It looked like he'd used a fountain pen. His handwriting was beautiful.

_Juliet,  
_

_I would be honored if you joined me for dinner tonight. If that's something you would like, meet me in my office at 6. If you decide not to, please don't worry. There won't be any hard feelings. _

_- Richard_

"So...are you gonna go?" Jack said, smiling when Juliet realized he'd read the note after all. She sighed, coming as close to blushing as she ever would, and refolded the paper.

"I'll never tell you now." she said playfully. She flashed him one more smile before she turned to go check on the Widmore and Hume family.

Jack's smile widened to a grin. "Have fun." he called after her, with just a hint of suggestion.

* * *

Right before the dinner rush, the phone in the kitchen rang. Sawyer glanced at it, and then around the kitchen. Hurley was nowhere in sight. "I'll get it." Sawyer grumbled, setting a serving spoon in the pot of rice and reaching for the receiver. "Hanso's House of Roaches, can I take your order?" he said. There was a pause on the other end, and then Richard's voice came through.

"...Hello, Mr. Ford."

Sawyer's eyes widened, and he stifled a laugh. "Mr. Alpert." he greeted him, remembering why he didn't answer the phone with joke restaurant names anymore. Richard never seemed to be bothered by his jokes, but he never really laughed at them either. He was a boss with a sense of humor, but still the boss. "What can I do ya for?"

"I know you'll be busy with the children soon, but could you bring two plates to my office when you get the chance?"

"No problem, boss. You got a hot date, or are you just that hungry tonight?"

"Thank you, Mr. Ford." said Richard, ignoring Sawyer's question. Sawyer's wince was a grin, and he hung up the phone after he heard Richard's end click. He turned back to the stoves and found Hurley, who'd been laughing silently behind his back throughout the short conversation.

"Dude. How are you not constantly in trouble?"

"Never underestimate my southern charm, Hugo. Oh shit, the rice is burning..."

* * *

Leaving the rice to Hurley, Sawyer took two boxed dinners and started down the path to Richard's office.

"Top Jimmy cooks..." Sawyer sang under his breath. "Top Jimmy swi-i-inngs...he's got the look! Top Jimmy, he's the king..." When he arrived at the door, he knocked twice and called out "Special Delivery!" The tall, dark and handsome - hey, a secure man is allowed to notice - camp director took the food with a curt thank you, and Sawyer left him alone soon after. There was no reason to stick around and bug the guy the way he usually did to everyone else. It wasn't like they had enough in common to make good small talk anyway.

"Drivin' all the women crazy, all they want is Jimmy baby, love it when he rolls his eyes..."

'Jimmy' got back to his favorite song as he made his way back to serve dinner to everyone else. Twenty paces down the path he saw a familiar face approaching from the opposite direction. Juliet's body was also familiar, especially draped in the soft, floral print dress she was wearing. She had her eyes on the ground in front of her sandaled feet, lost in thought, but she looked up when she heard Sawyer's heavier footsteps crunching along the path. She seemed surprised to see him at first, as if she hadn't expected anyone else to be on the path.

"Hey." she said, smiling and slowing to a stop.

"I was just thinkin' about you." Sawyer said, and his ladykiller smile almost convinced her it was true. "Hey, I got a bottle of Jager in my cabin. Might have your name on it, if you're interested. We could head back there after the dance..."

Juliet smiled appreciatively, remembering all too well how she'd fallen for a similar line the previous summer. "Thanks, but I'm probably going to crash after the dance. I'm still a little jetlagged. It felt like it took forever to get here."

"Alright." Sawyer nodded, recognizing the polite lie as rejection but trying to keep the option open anyway. "If you change your mind, you know where I am."

"Mmhm. I'll see you later."

Juliet continued on her way, away from the mess hall and the promise of the lovingly prepared dinner.

"Hey." Sawyer said playfully, pointing his thumb the way he was headed. "Dinner's that way."

Juliet turned to look over her shoulder. "Is it?" she replied, her look of confusion turning into a sly smile before she turned away from him and kept walking. Sawyer watched her go, puzzled, until he saw her walk up to the office he'd just come from.

"Well. I'll be damned." Sawyer sighed, realizing clearly that she'd moved on from their fling last summer. Sawyer and Richard would soon have something in common after all.


	3. The Dinner Rush

Pairings in this chapter:  
a little** Juliet/Richard  
**hints of **Charlotte/Daniel  
**implied past **Sawyer/Kate  
**implied past/wishful future **Sawyer/Juliet  
**& more hints of **Kate/Jack**

friendships:  
**Sawyer/Hurley  
****Kate/Claire, Kate/Sawyer  
****Charlotte/Miles/Daniel  
**

* * *

Richard was just lighting a second candle when he heard a soft knock on the cabin door. He said a quick and silent prayer that it would be who he hoped, checked the table one last time to make sure everything was in its proper place, and then went to answer the door. His prayer was answered when he found Juliet on the other side, smiling softly. She looked a little nervous, but she was there.

Juliet hadn't felt her nerves until the door was opened. _Am I really doing this?_ she wondered. The look on Richard's face when he saw her was reassuring, but she was more afraid of hurting him than she was of him hurting her. _What if I don't live up to his fantasy? Oh, maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself..._

"Hi." said Juliet, since Richard was just standing there, smiling. "...Can I come in?"

"Please." he said abruptly, snapping out of the trance she always seemed to put him in. She smiled again, and stepped inside. She saw the candles, the simple but beautiful place settings, and her nerves gave way to cautious excitement.

"I apologize," said Richard. "It's only from the cafeteria. But," he continued, walking to his desk and picking up a bottle with a white and black label. "I do have wine."

"It's wonderful." Juliet assured him.

"Go ahead, sit down." Richard urged, pausing politely as she did so. "How was your first day back?" he asked.

"Surprisingly easy." Juliet answered, pleased to see the wine bottle had already been opened, giving it time to breathe before her arrival. She smiled as Richard poured her a glass. "The kids even seemed happy to see me."

Richard's smile was tempered with a gently furrowed brow. "Why would that be a surprise?" he asked her, implying that everyone on the island should be happy to see her return. Juliet looked down as she smiled, hoping her long hair would cover her cheeks if she blushed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the mess hall became a madhouse. Everyone had dinner at the same time, and whether the kids were returning from sports or classes, they were all starving and excited to see each other. Everyone, of course, except for Benjamin Linus.

"Chicken and rice again." he grumbled as he took a plastic tray and got in line to be served. "Oh joy."

"Come on, Ben." said Walt, the only kid that could stand to spend any time with the moody pre-teen. "How can you complain when they got pudding for dessert?" Ben's only response was a shrug. "Well, what _do_ you want to eat?" Walt asked him. "I bet if you ask, they could make it. Yo, Mr. Hurley!"

"What's up?" Hurley replied.

"Are you ever going to fix us pizza and chicken wings?"

"Dude. That's an awesome idea. I'll take it up with management."

Walt grinned. "Thanks, Mr. Hurley."

"No problemo. Hey, don't forget your vegetables."

"See?" Walt squawked under his breath. "All you have to do is ask." Ben almost smiled; one side of his mouth turned up, and he nodded gratefully.

"Hey, Ben." said Hurley. "Did you ever ask Annie to the dance?"

With a great big huff, Ben took his tray, with only half his dinner served, and left the line.

"Whoa. Touchy subject?" Hurley asked Walt.

"That's one way to put it." Walt replied wryly. Hurley smiled, and handed him two pudding cups so Walt could bring one to Ben.

The line was starting to die down. Hurley peered around the mess hall at all the kids, counselors, teachers and administrators. He could sense someone was missing, and it took him a moment to realize who.

"Hey, Sawyer."

Sawyer grunted in response, in the middle of wolfing down his dinner.

"I thought Juliet was supposed to be here today?" Hurley asked. He could tell, if Sawyer hadn't had his mouth full, that he would have sighed in response. Instead, the rougher and gruffer of the two cooks swallowed down the last bite and took a discreet sip of beer from an unmarked can.

"Oh, she's here, Hugo. She's who that other dinner was for."

"What other dinner?"

"The one I took to Alpert."

"Ohhh." said Hurley, as it slowly came together in his mind. "Oh man, she's having dinner with Mr. Alpert?"

"Yeah." Sawyer said, looking at Hurley with his brow furrowed as a warning. "So?"

"Come on, dude. I know you like her."

"We screwed a few times, it was no big deal."

"Wow. That's...romantic." Hurley remarked sarcastically. "No wonder she's having dinner with Mr. Alpert."

"Maybe she wants a raise." Sawyer joked darkly. He felt like an asshole for even thinking of a joke like that involving Juliet, but he had too much pride to admit it. Hurley laughed, but it wasn't at Sawyer's joke, it was at Sawyer himself.

"You are so jealous." Hurley told him, as if Sawyer didn't know.

"Yeah? At least I had my time with her, how's that epic romance with Libby going?"

"You can't hurt me with your low blows, dude. I'm just happy to know you really do have a heart in there somewhere."

"What are you on about now, Hugo?"

"You obviously have feelings for Juliet, if you're getting this bent out of shape over her having _one date_ with Mr. Alpert."

Sawyer tried to ignore his friend. He was busy struggling with the pudding cup lid that refused to come off, until he realized that if he had a shred of dignity left, it would not be kept by eating a cup of pudding designed for children. He sighed harshly, tossing the pudding cup over his shoulder and onto the counter behind him.

"Alright. Fine. I'm jealous."

"Hoo hoo," Hurley laughed. "This is almost as delicious as your chicken and rice. The Don Juan d'Sawyer, taken out by a Latin lover. My people," Hurley went on, trying to do a Spanish accent. "They are...how do you say..."

"Hairy?" Sawyer offered, snorting at his own joke.

"Yes, hairy, because they are so much more manly than your blonde-a white trash."

Sawyer shook his head and laughed, because Hurley's Spanish accent had somehow turned Italian. "You better keep your day job, Hugo."

"Oh, Juliet-a." Hurley kept going, now sounding a bit French. "Run your hands-a through my dark, eh-Spanish hair..."

"Come on, I don't need that mental image." Sawyer complained.

"Kiss me, and I will show you the REC en mis pantalones!"

"Aw, jeez!" Sawyer almost shouted, as he stood and escaped Hurley's horrible impression. Hurley laughed heartily, watching Sawyer leave through the back door, probably to have a cigarette.

* * *

Outside, Sawyer kept trying his lighter but it would only spark. "God dammit..." he grumbled, finally giving up and lifting his head. The hand that held his cigarette dropped to his side, and he happened to look over and see one of the counselors standing in the shadows behind the mess hall. It was Shannon, the leggy blonde. He could see the glow of her cigarette as she took a long drag. She was ignoring him, but he knew she must have been watching and listening to him the whole time he'd been trying to light his cigarette.

"Hey." he greeted her, keeping his voice low, thinking it was oh-so-sexy. "You got a light?"

Shannon didn't answer right away. The ember glowed again, before she dropped the butt of her half-smoked cigarette on the ground, putting it out with her sandal. Then Shannon emerged from the shadows, walking toward Sawyer with a smirk.

"Not for you." she said smugly, walking right past him and back into the mess hall. It took him by surprise, but when he realized what had probably happened he couldn't help but have a chuckle.

_Kate_. he thought to himself, knowing she must have spread the word about his womanizing ways to the rest of the girls at the camp. Sawyer shook his head and chuckled again before heading back inside himself. This was going to be a long summer.

* * *

Charlotte was resting her chin in her hand, staring across the room at the kitchen area when Sawyer came back in. She saw him give Hurley a look, like he didn't want to hear anything smart coming out of the larger man's mouth. Across from her, Miles glanced up from shoveling food in his face to look at Charlotte, then at Sawyer and Hurley, before glancing to Charlotte again and returning to his food.

"Eat your vegetables." Miles said, his tone as flat as an uncaring parent.

"No." Charlotte said petulantly. She turned her eyes to him, using her fork to flick a piece of mushy, over-cooked carrot at his face. Miles closed his eyes as it hit him on the forehead and he sighed when it bounced off and fell on his plate.

"Oops." said Charlotte, his tone as dry as the rice. Then she smiled.

"So," said Miles, recovering from the indignity quickly. "Are you finally going to take pity on Danny-boy and hook up with him after the dance?"

"Miles." Charlotte calmly scolded her college friend, sitting up straight and pushing her tray aside. She leaned forward on her forearms and looked Miles in the eye. "I thought we agreed you weren't going to tease me about Dan anymore."

"No, you ordered me to stop. I only said 'maybe'."

"Well, first answer me this: are you going to help me with what I asked?"

"Sure. Fine. Whatever."

"Oh come on, don't act blasé, I know you're as intrigued by this island as I am."

"Um, no, you've got this whole girlish excitement thing going that I could only hope to imitate. I'm not even sure what it is you're looking for here."

"Evidence of past civilizations!" Charlotte exclaimed in a hushed tone, as if it should be obvious. She got even quieter as she continued. "Don't you wonder why Widmore doesn't allow the campers to explore beyond those bizarre, invisible fences? There are areas of this island that are not on his cute little children's maps."

"I think you need to stop reading _The Da Vinci Code_ before bed, Char." said Miles.

"Okay, fine, you think my theories are silly. But what about Walt's ghosts?"

Miles pressed his lips together and stared at her for a moment. "Yeah, that's different." he admitted. "_That_ intrigues me."

"Well, I'm fairly certain it's related to what interests me. Help me look for sites and artifacts, and I'll help you with the ghost stuff. Deal?"

"What if I don't need your help with the 'ghost stuff'?"

Charlotte scoffed, and was about to go into another pitch when Daniel appeared beside them.

"Hi. Guys." he said haltingly. "Sorry I'm late, my class...I assigned homework..."

Charlotte looked up at Daniel, smiling softly. He was being adorably vague and confusing as always, yet she knew exactly what he meant to say.

"Don't apologize, Jello-brain." she teased him affectionately. "Go grab some food before the munchkins eat it all. You're going to need your strength for the dance competition tonight."

Daniel's eyebrows furrowed as he stopped to ponder that. "There's a competition?" he wondered aloud, not understanding that Charlotte was only joking. She didn't make it easy, deadpanning the way she did.

Miles stifled a laugh, looking up at Daniel and smirking, though Miles' reaction was also an affectionate one. Daniel, it seemed sometimes, was hopeless.

* * *

"Use your fork!" Kate gently scolded one of her kids for the zillionth time. Letting a child grab a handful of vegetables was an invitation to food fight, and after last week's epic battle she was not eager to let it happen again.

"Miss Austen!" the little girl grunted in response, sounding a lot like one of Mr. Locke's boars. Kate looked over at Claire, who sat across from her, and they both burst into laughter.

"I'm so glad I have the older group this year." Claire said, shaking her head at the ruffians Kate was in charge of.

"Oh. I was hoping you would say the opposite." Kate said dryly, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. Last year's 5-8-year-old group had been bigger, and she and Claire had shared responsibilities. Now that Claire had graduated to the 9-12 group, they both worked alone, but Claire still ate dinner with Kate at the little kids' table. Kate took another bite of dry chicken, and looked around to see if Shannon was back in the mess hall yet. She was sitting a few tables away with her own little brood, the 13-17-year-old group, having just come back from her smoke break. Kate watched her, a bit jealous, as the kids fawned over her. She was so popular, and all the boys - young and old - always stared...

Kate was so busy watching Shannon that she didn't see Sawyer sit down on her blind side, and didn't notice him staring at her until he cleared his throat. She turned to him, hoping she didn't look startled.

"Hey, Freckles." he said, saccharine sweet. She raised an eyebrow at his sarcastic looking smile.

"What?" Kate asked, regarding him with suspicion. Claire looked on with equally suspicious curiosity.

"Would you care to tell me why I can't even get Princess Shannon to give the time of day, much less light a cigarette for a desperate man when his lighter's out of fluid?"

At that, Kate chuckled smugly, pleased with herself for once. "I don't know, Sawyer. Why would a girl like Shannon suddenly turn her back on a charmer like you?"

"You told her about last year, didn'tcha?"

"Maybe."

"Yeah. Ya did." said Sawyer, dropping the sweet smile and looking around the cafeteria. He wasn't angry at Kate. Alright, maybe a little, but he was more upset at himself, that he let what happened happen.

He thought he'd planned it perfectly. Hook up with Juliet in the evenings, and do the friends-with-benefits thing with Kate any other time he could find, usually in the middle of the night when her little troop was asleep. It was easy at first, since both women wanted to keep their relationship with Sawyer - or lack thereof - a secret from everyone else. That worked out wonderfully for Sawyer, whose only concern was keeping his relationship - or lack thereof - with each woman a secret from the other. Alas, not even Sawyer was indefatigable, and they both happened to approach him on the same day, within the same hour. Suspicions grew, until Kate asked Sawyer if he was seeing someone else. Since she was his friend above all else...Sawyer lied at first, but she eventually got the truth from him. She immediately went to tell Juliet, for her safety and to preserve their dignity. They were both fiercely independent women, and couldn't stand the thought of being taken advantage of by a guy like Sawyer, who always thought he had everyone fooled. Juliet had appreciated Kate's honesty, but it made a friendship between them impossible, the jealousy of what the other had with Sawyer too great to ignore. As much as they thought women should stick together, they still had feelings for him, feelings he'd crushed when he tried to date both of them at once.

Poor Sawyer. At least he still had Kate's friendship. She had been angry at first, and given him the silent treatment - more on Juliet's behalf than on her own - but she'd forgiven him, as she always did, because aside from his mistakes where the bedroom was concerned, he was one of her best friends at the camp. They understood each other, even better now that Kate had cut off his benefits, but if she was going around telling the other women at the camp about his exploits, then he wondered if it didn't still bug her deep inside...

"Didn't realize it pissed you off so much." he said, sounding more concerned now.

"I'm over it." Kate assured him, as if it should be obvious. "But Shannon asked, and I wasn't going to lie about it. You made your bed, now you gotta-"

"I gotta lay in it, sure." Sawyer finished the old saying for her. "Alone." he added, sighing deeply.

"Come on, it won't be that bad." Claire said, smiling in a lovingly smug way along with Kate. "You could read bedtime stories to the kids instead."

Sawyer hmph'd, turning back to Kate. "So how's it goin' with Dr. Giggles? Set a date yet? I'm pretty sure he's savin' it for marriage, that one..." He waited for Kate to respond, expecting her to get all bugaboo for getting teased about her crush on the good doctor, but Jack had just walked into the mess hall with Widmore, Penny and Charlie. Kate was staring in that direction, so she probably wasn't even listening to what he was saying anymore.

"Look at her," Sawyer playfully exclaimed to Claire, pointing a thumb at Kate. "I can see the hearts in her eyes."

"I think it's sweet." Claire said, smiling in Kate's direction. Kate looked back at them, finally realizing they were talking about her, and tried not to blush. Sawyer chuckled most mischievously, and grinned at her.

"Is Jackie gonna get lucky tonight?"

"Shut up, Sawyer." Kate said immediately, trying very hard not to smile.

"Hoo, boy!" Sawyer hooted. "Is he even gonna know what to do with you?"

"James!" Kate scolded him, widening her eyes so he'd stop talking about it in front of the kids. Sawyer chuckled again. "You can tell me all about it later, Freckles." he said as he stood. "You owe me at least that much for turning all these chicks against me."

"Go help Hurley." Kate told him, shaking her head as if to say _I'm not telling you a thing._

"I'm goin', I'm goin'."

Sawyer walked back to the counter, since there were kids lining up for seconds already, along with Daniel, Jack and the Widmores. He thought about Kate and the doc, allowing himself a jealous moment now that he knew Jack was going to be getting all her attention from now on. In the end, he felt happy for her, since it was obvious to him and anyone else that saw them together that Jack was just as enamored of her as she was with him.

This thing with Juliet and Richard, on the other hand...now that had to stop, he thought. Maybe it's because they weren't close, like he and Kate were. Maybe it was the fact that Juliet now only spoke to him to be polite that bothered him so much. She'd been the one to break things off, and besides his pride, somehow his feelings had gotten hurt. What did Uptight Alpert have that he didn't?

_Your girl, for one thing._ Sawyer thought, before he pushed all that pathetic love stuff to the side. "Didn't you piggies get enough the first time around?" he asked the line of children. Some laughed, used to Sawyer's fake snarling as a joke, and others cowered. "Come on, gimme yer plates..."


End file.
